The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-03-05
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4 Doctors Attempt to Play Joke on ].
Druggist Ends in 3 Failure.

4 Doctors Attempt to Play q Joke on q
Druggist Ends. in q Failure.
If there is anything that a druggist
despises above another it is the metric
system. When a prescription filled out
in the terms of this system is presented
the average pharmacist turns treason
able to his profession and becomes mad
enough to grind up in his pestle the
remains of the physicians of the city
who employ the abominated measure
lnents. Many druggists will not under
take to fill a prescription in metric
weights; others first reduce the pre-
scription. with infinite toll. to the
apo thecary's ordinary table, before
filling it. It was one of these latter that
has to do with this story. &,
The druggist in question Tomkins is
as good name as any for Identification
had been playing practical jokes on a
well-kpown young physician, whose of
fee adjoined his store, and the latter
plotted with acquaintance to get
even. The doctor wrote out in
the metric system long and =elab-
crate prescription, the combination of
whose elements was a chemical impos-
sibility. He gave this to fri"7d, and
to another conspirator 80 gave pre-
scription which would produce an odor
viler than sulphuretted hydrogen. The
two prescriptions were presented inn
mediately following each other, and
the doctor-who, of course, had not
signed his own name to them-hap-
pened to: drop into the drug store at the
right time to see the fun, The drug
gist retired and labored manfully with
the first prescription for "a half-hour.
He called the doctor into his counsel,
and the two wrestled with the hero
glyphics and sought solution in vain.
Then the druggist, all unsuspecting,
gave up the job, and, returning the
prescription to his customer, acknowl-
edged that he could not fill it.
Presently another prescription was
presented, and after an hours
effort the druggist emerged from
his retirement and said he be blanked
if he'd convert his store into a Sellers
farm; that he could not fill the pre-
scription and wouldn't if he could.
From the suppressed merriment of the
doctor and of the man who presented
the prescription the druggist began to
suspect that he was being worked"
But he kept his peace, and the con-
spirators concluded to get all tho fun
possible out of it. On the next day
they proposed to give the game away,
and that there might be millions in
it they invited the entire neighborhood
to see the sport. A prescription was
duly presented, and the druggist took
it cheerfully and began to compound
the drugs.
Z Doc" said one Of the boys who had
handed in the prescription, ''he's fill
ing it. Hadn't we better clear out. y
Il tell you he can't fill it. That pre-
scription can't be filed. and he will
find it out presently. Keep cool. !"
But the drug man kept grinding
away as if it were the simplest job he
had found in years, and presently
came forward with a bottle filled with
fluid and neatly wrapped.
1.-TWO dollars and sixty-fve cents.
please" he said unconcernedly. Odd
you observe that drug bill is never an
even amount).
"What?"
''That prescription called for rare,
expensive drugs, and it would be at a
loss to myself if I should charge you
less than two dollars and sixty-fve
cents - -
..But I only have dollar and
eighty"
''sorry, but you can pay that and ]
will charge the rest on the books"
And it was even so. The man of
pills said afterward when the jokers
had retired without divulging the
..fun'' that it was the most profitable
aqua pura that he had ever sold.-